Japan recalls its ambassador to Seoul, consul general in Busan over ‘comfort woman’ statue

Tensions appear to be reaching new highs between Seoul and Tokyo over the decades-old issue of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women. This, despite the landmark agreement made between the two sides in December 2015, which many hoped would help resolve the issue. The Japanese government said this morning it will temporarily recall its ambassador to Seoul, Yasumasa Nagamine, and its consul general in Busan, Yasuhiro Morimoto, in protest against the recent installation of a “comfort woman” statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Busan.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the construction of the statue is not “appropriate” for Seoul-Tokyo relations. According to Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency, Japan also plans to halt Korea-Japan currency swap negotiations and postpone bilateral high-level economic talks. The Korean government has called the move “very regrettable.” The statue in Busan, built by a civic group in December, was immediately removed by Korean government officials, but the activists re-installed it on Monday.